Review by Booklist Review
If a villain can't be redeemed, can he be understood? This question is explored in Rudnick's novelization of the Disney animated hit Frozen. Princess Elsa is her little sister Anna's best friend, until an accident with her icy powers leaves her too afraid to spend any time with her. After their parents' death, Elsa is crowned queen, but a confrontation with her sister leads her to lose control, turning their kingdom into an icy wasteland. The familiar story of two sisters unsure how to love each other is interspersed with the perspective of Anna's would-be prince, Hans. Rudnick does an excellent job of making Hans seem sympathetic without forgiving his own misdeeds. The book also highlights everything that made the film so beloved, from goofy snowman Olaf to the lovely development of friendship between Anna and Kristoff. This will delight fans of the movie, but the questions it raises about the nature of a villain are enough to engage readers who might think they have outgrown fairy tales.--Horan, Molly Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Horn Book Review
This Frozen novelization alternates between Anna's and Hans's viewpoints (yes, he's still rotten, though backstory attempts to humanize him somewhat). There's no Let It Go moment: Elsa remains a cipher until the climactic thaw-Anna-and-thyself scene. Though it's all rather slim, it's entertaining for what it is, and Frozen fans will appreciate the time spent with favorite characters. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Back story is explored in this novel based on Disney's Frozen. Anna and Elsa are princesses who live in Arendelle. As youngsters they are close, but an accident causes Elsa, the elder, to distance herself from Anna. Anna has no memory of the accident and no one enlightens her, so she spends the next 14 years wondering why her sister avoids her. Meanwhile Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, who has 12 older, bullying brothers, plots to get his own kingdom. He finds his chance when he learns that Elsa will be crowned queen of Arendelle. Making his way there, he woos Anna by mistake. Anna, however, thinks she's found true love. Told in alternating chapters and points of view between Hans and Anna, the story lurches along. Action scenes read as detached description, and there are more than a few plot inconsistencies. Hans, whose manipulative behavior is explained by his repressive upbringinga promising premisenever gets beyond one-dimensional, and Anna, with her vapid, textureless voice, is trite at best. The story's theme of true love (heads up, girlstrue love means sacrifice) is a reinforcement of outdated stereotypes. This story tries to cater to both younger girls' dreams of being a princess and older girls' desires for both empowerment and romance but misses the mark on both. (Fantasy. 10-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
